


Flowers

by Zelinkie



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Flowers, Language of Flowers, oneshots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:20:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 10,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25998169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zelinkie/pseuds/Zelinkie
Summary: A collection of Zelda oneshots based on the language of flowers and also not based on the language of flowers, occasionally.
Relationships: Link & Mipha (Legend of Zelda), Link & Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Link/Mipha (Legend of Zelda), Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 24





	1. Daffodil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Zelda are reborn time and time forever.

**Daffodil: rebirth, new beginnings. Associated with Narcissus, who fell in love with his own reflection.**

They met in the bright blue sky, the clouds hovering below them and the sun above. They were but toddlers, babbling nonsense and laughing happily as they played with the other, swinging toy swords and showing off bird plushies. They had not a care, not a worry, as the world moved around them and fate set its cruel course. They, the girl and the boy, grew up together, like two peas in their own blissful pod. 

Fate took action.

Swept to a new world, one neither had ever seen before, and separated for the first time in their lives, they struggled. From every corner leapt a monster, an enemy, hindrance to their reunion, as the boy fought his way through what seemed like hell to get to her.

And when they reunited, he had sealed their fate:

"My hate... never perishes. It is born anew in a cycle with no end!"

But they didn't seem to pay it much mind, carrying out their days carelessly, hand-in-hand, protecting that which could destroy their world.

They met again as children in a garden, shadowed in high walls and within a small stream. However, they did not recognize each other, blonde hair, blue eyes, and all. Their souls were the same but their memories not, and they had to learn of each other yet again. 

The small girl, a princess, spoke to the boy about her dreams and her worries. Why she placed so much trust in a ragged boy from the forest, she didn't know.

In her soul, an ancient feeling awoke, and she felt that it was right.

So he went, in his dirty, green tunic, to do her bidding. Gathering stones and slaying foes, he had no hint that it would be futile, that he'd be too late, and the world would be plunged into darkness. And when it was, he pressed forward in the hopes that he'd see her again.

This time, they met as adults, one disguised and the other unknowing of her true identity. Again, he did her bidding, gathering medallions and friends, and ultimately, sealing the evil that plagued his world.

But something was off.

Time split into three.

They were unaware, however, because each of their beings were oblivious to each other. The cycle continued.

They met again, this time as woman and beast. This time, she knew why—she knew what was happening and what would happen eventually, so she trusted him. To him, she gave her faith, and eventually, her life.

When he'd be a human next, he'd begin his journey by liberating the forest, then the volcano, and then the lake. At the lake, he met an enemy who depleted the life of his trusted imp companion and, once again a beast, the boy ran through Hyrule to find the woman he'd met.

It was there she gave her life in exchange for the imp's.

The next time he met her, she was a puppet of a great evil, but formidable all the same. To either's swords, they stroked death. And then, free from the grasp of the ancient evil, Ganondorf, they sealed him and saved Hyrule.

They met again, and they both knew what would happen. They had been prepared, planning defenses and strategies, the girl sacrificing her time and her being to pray to the Goddesses that had cursed her so, cursed her with the power to seal Ganon, a power that wouldn't awaken no matter how much she begged.

A power that wouldn't awaken except for when her purpose was threatened. 

Through the forest, she ran, to lay her hero's sword to rest as his body was placed in a pool to rest for one hundred years.

He woke up, startled and confused, memories abandoned and meaning forgotten. Yet, he trudged forth, listening to the strange voice that guided him, and why?

Something, a feeling squirming deep within him, told him to.

Through the land he traveled, exploring and discovering. He slew the four demons corrupting the land's defenses, and they took aim at the greatest evil, festering in Hyrule Castle, in the heart of the world. It was there he travelled, his sword from an age past in hand, and he faced Ganon.

He knew now what his purpose was.

Together, they defeated him. Princess and hero, combining their power, defeated the ancient evil that provoked their land, but they knew it wasn't over. They knew, in another time, they'd be born anew, destined to defeat him once again.

They met again in the field in front of the castle, gazing at each other expectantly. There, in that moment, Link and Zelda knew what their purpose was, and they knew they'd fulfill it—together. No matter how many times the cycle repeated, no matter how many times they went through a new beginning with the same story, they would find each other.

And she asked him:

"Do you really remember me?"


	2. Violet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young Zelda is wise beyond her years.

**Violet: innocence, modesty, everlasting love, spiritual wisdom, faith.**

If she were a normal child, she wouldn't understand who the big, dark, scary man with the ugly nose and fiery hair was and why he was in her castle talking to her father. If she were a normal child, she would've hounded her father with questions, asking who, what, when, where, why and how. If she were a normal child, she'd run off and play with her dolls. But she wasn't a normal child. Instead, she squinted through the garden window into the hall, watching as the man knelt before her father, hiding a sinister smile in the collar of his shirt. She knew exactly who the man was and why he was there, but only one person listened to her and no other.

"Zelda," her father had said, "you don't understand. He's just here to negotiate—nothing is the matter with him, and I'd be insulted if I were him, knowing the King's daughter thought ill of me. You are but a child, and your thinking is simple. Please, run off and leave us for a while, would you?"

Oh, her blood boiled at the words. A child? _Simple?!_ How could he say that, even after she'd told him, in detail, about her prophetic dream, even after she'd told him this man wasn't just a bad omen—no, he was the villain. She knew exactly what was going on and what would happen. She just didn't know why. In that regard, she was still a child. But she knew who she was.

She was Princess Zelda, inheritor of the Triforce of Wisdom and all its burdens, such as being ten and still smarter than the adults around her. She knew exactly who she was and what she was meant to do, whether those around her knew it or not.

_Pat pat, crunch, pat, crunch._

Footsteps? Why?

_Pat, crunch._

She turned around, away from the window, and stared wide-eyed at the scruffy boy in front of her. She was baffled. How'd he even get in? There was no way to get past the guards that she knew of.

"Hello," she said tentatively. He didn't do anything. "Who are you?"

Again, he didn't speak.

"Well... okay." It was quiet. She stood and stared at him. His clothes were of a vibrant green, like that of forest leaves, and his eyes a deep azure. He wore a tunic and a hat that she found to be funny-looking, but she didn't say that out loud. A belt hugged his waist, and his blonde hair swept across his brows.

"Oh my Goddesses," she muttered, realizing. It was like Nayru herself delivered him to her. Yes, him, the boy straight from her dream that had been ridiculed and denied. "You're from the forest!"

He tilted his head, his brows scrunched. He didn't understand why that was so exciting for her. She beckoned for him to come closer, and she pulled him right next to her at the window. Together, they watched the man she was spying on—him more confused than her.

She thought it was cute.

No! No, she didn't. She was mature and smart, well beyond her years in wisdom. Mature, smart girls didn't have crushes. But maybe Nayru could make an exception just this once.

"That man is evil," she explained. "I saw him in my dream in the form of dark clouds. And you were there too, as a light from the forest." The boy jumped back from the window, startled by how the man suddenly stared right at him. He could tell why he was evil. He could see it in his eyes, and it shook him to the core. He took the princess more seriously now.

She turned to him. "We are destined for something great." He blinked, and then nodded. She smiled.

They were childlike in being, but not in mind. They were innocent, but they knew the burden they carried on their shoulders. Unto him she gave a letter permitting him entry to Death Mountain, so he could continue to pursue the fate he had already set in motion.

As she watched Impa, her faithful caretaker, escort him out, she thought to herself how he had to be the one. The one to save Hyrule, and the one to save her. And she knew, she would love him. No matter what would happen.


	3. Peony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Zelda run away to escape the stifling of forced love.

**Peony: honor, wealth, nobility, happy marriage.**

Zelda had never been one for the extravagant parties her father threw. It was full of dirty, greedy nobles that spent the bulk of their time more concerned about worshipping the very ground her father walked on than about politics. They buttered him up with empty compliments and sweet nothings, all the while throwing their firstborn sons right at him, begging for her hand in marriage. She didn't really want anything to do with it. After years of witnessing the same scenario over and over again, it got boring. First, they would compliment her father. Then, they'd mention how their firstborn son is courting women. Lastly, they'd mention her specifically, and her father would turn them down. Why he didn't just say yes and end the whole ordeal, she didn't know, but part of her wishes he would just get it over with anyways. She wouldn't be able to marry who she wants anyways.

He was a scruffy, blonde, dirty stable boy that tended to her horse. He had pointy ears like hers, and blue eyes that surpassed hers in brilliance. He always wore a green tunic with a brown belt, white pants, and brown boots. Every now and then, he wore this silly little windsock hat that she thought was the most ridiculous thing, but she couldn't stop herself from finding it to be cute. He had little blue hoop earrings that she often toyed with when they would meet, almost as much as she toyed with the end of his hat. When he didn't wear the hat, she could see all of his dirty blonde locks, sometimes pulled back. 

They liked each other.

Oh, they liked each other, but they could never love each other how they wanted to. How badly she wanted to be his she could not describe with words. He was a dirty little stable boy and she was the heir to Hyrule's throne. Sometimes, she dreamt dangerous dreams about them running away together on their horses, off into the sunset, never to be seen again by anyone they knew. Perhaps they would live in a little cottage in the woods, tending to a little garden and visiting the nearby village to buy goods. A little brook would run past their house, and she would soak her feet in it often alongside him.

She was good at dreaming.

She lightly swirled her glass of wine, leaning over the balcony. Just beyond the doors behind her the party was reaching its peak, and she had no doubt that the suitors were getting more aggressive. She just wanted to get married already—to end the pain of knowing she would never be happy. Her entire existence was only meant to preserve her family's honor and to marry another wealthy noble. She didn't want that. She wanted her stable boy.

She wanted Link.

She walked back into the ballroom and quickly found her father, and told him that she was feeling unwell and would need to retire from the party. He bid her goodnight and she left the ballroom without suspicion. She hitched up the skirt of her gown and walked briskly down the halls and corridors of the castle. It seemed she created a small breeze because the tapestries on the wall would move ever slightly as she past them. Eventually, she reached an unassuming door. She unlatched it, opened it, and went outside right into the stables. 

She kicked off her heels; the dirt was hard to walk in with them on. She removed her heavy jewelry; it just weighed her down. Last, she let her hair fall out of its bindings; both him and her preferred the hair to be long and loose. Quietly, she made her way in front of the stables, subtly nodding or waving at some of the horses as she passed. She approached the last stall, where someone was bent over, doing something with their arms. She lightly tapped the person's shoulder.

"Goddesses!" the person exclaimed, tumbling back. She let out a sigh of relief at the sight of him: Link. She was always worried she'd never see him. "Oh, it's just you."

"Don't sound too excited to see me," she retorted in her soft, coy voice. He wrinkled his nose at her and stood up. "I needed to get away." She sighed and looked at her horse.

"You always need to get away," he said. "Maybe we should trade spots."

"You? A prince? That'd be a sight to see, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, but you in commoner's clothes, covered in dirt and sweat from a hard day's work would be an even better sight." He flicked the rag he was holding at her playfully, and she laughed.

"I suppose I need to be taught a lot in the ways of hard labor." She sighed again. "Link, I don't know what to do."

"That's a first."

She lightly hit his chest. "I'm serious. What am I going to do? I'll be married off eventually. Time does not stop and the day he finally says yes to someone continuously gets closer. My life will be over. I'll be resigned to being a pretty little wife that will bear pretty little heirs."

"If you were with me, you wouldn't just be my pretty little wife."

"Oh, don't make me feel worse about it," she groaned, slumping against the wall of the stable. "You already know how badly I want to just go somewhere with you and never look back."

He took a step closer. "I know." Another step. "What's stopping us?" Another step. "We could live how we've always wanted to." Another. "Just you and me." He wrapped his arms around her waist. "No pressures."

"What's stopping us?" she repeated, putting her hands on his arms. "The entire kingdom. If I run, there will be nobody to replace my father when he dies."

"Yes there will. There's plenty of people that could."

"I suppose, but they prefer to keep it in the bloodline—"

"Prefer, Zelda. They would prefer; that doesn't mean they have to."

"I know." She allowed herself to rest against him. "When can we leave?"

"You really want to?" he asked, shocked.

"Yes. I can't do this anymore," she said. "All this waiting, anticipating, nervousness, I can't handle it. I just want to marry you. I've made my choice, but he won't make his."

Link looked around, furrowing his brows. He let out a small hum. "We could leave now."

"Now?!"

"Yes. You don't need to grab anything, do you?" 

She shook her head. "No," she whispered, "but is this right?"

He tightened his grip on her and looked her in the eyes. "Does it feel right?" She nodded. "Then it is right."

She felt like she was dreaming again. Another dangerous dream. She was going to fulfill it. She was going to ride off into the sunset with him and live in a cozy, warm little cottage in the forest, where she could tend to a garden and soak her feet in the nearby brook. 

She got on her horse. "Okay," she said. "This is right."

He looked up at her as she sat, perched on the saddle. He lightly touched her face, running his fingers over the smooth skin. He leaned up and gave her a soft kiss. 

"You won't regret it," he said with a wink. She giggled. Only he could make her giggle. He saddled up his horse quickly, and they rode out of the stables side-by-side. They were simply going out for an evening ride, they told they guards. They'd be back soon, they said to them. 

The sky was a fiery orange, with some pink hues. Most of all, it was soft. This was the sunset in her dreams. 

And so they rode, together.


	4. Violet 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mipha and Link consider the existence of the Goddesses. | Requested by discombobulated-ant on Wattpad.

**Violet: faith, spirituality, remembrance**

She didn't know why sunset was a somber time for her. He didn't know, either, but he would indulge her need for silence anytime she needed it. Not that he spoke, anyways. When she gazed into the sunset from the top of Vah Ruta, she didn't feel romantic or in love like many couples did, even when he was right beside her. Instead, she was worried, worried about what would become of her should she fail. She was scared, too, but didn't want to expose that side of herself too him. She figured he was much too solemn, too stony to comfort her like that. 

She toyed with the blue scarf slung over her shoulder, clasped with a blue gem pendant that glimmered in the lowering sunlight. When she was presented with her duty, she did not feel honor. She did not feel proud. She felt scared. She knew she was skilled with her trident, more so than any other living Zora, but she also knew her limits. This evil did not seem within those. Instead, it was far beyond them, so unreachable that not even her fingers could graze it.

Every now and then, Link would say something to her. Whenever he spoke, she found his words profound and knowledgeable, contrary to the tough warrior image he wore each morning and hung on the hook at night. She wondered if he was at all sensitive, and she wondered if those times he opened and then closed his mouth were times he wanted to speak but chose not to. 

That evening, he said something she'd never considered before.

"Mipha," he began softly, "I wonder if there are really Goddesses..."

The words trailed off his lips, falling down into the reservoir below, dying away with a soft _plink_ as they touched the water. Rarely questioned, barely muttered words falling from his mouth and into the sea of general opinion.

"I think there are," she said after a quiet and pensive moment. "But when there are times like these, I'd rather believe they haven't abandoned us."

Link looked at her quizzically. He didn't need to speak—his actions spoke for him. She sighed and her fingers glazed over her sparkling trident.

"Princess Zelda's prayers have gone unanswered," she said. "If Goddesses were real, why would they not answer her? If she is truly connected to Hylia herself, why doesn't she answer her daughter?"

She wasn't just scared. She was frustrated. But, perhaps, her frustration was not worth attention. Princess Zelda was more important than her, she knew. Mipha wondered if anybody, anyone at all, would ever help her. Maybe not then, but someday, she hoped.

"When I was young, I would often pray to the Goddesses. Say my thanks and offer diamonds. I was answered with comforting dreams and easy days. Why do they not give Princess Zelda the same fortunes? Where have they gone?"

She turned to Link and asked him, "Why have they forsaken us?" Tears lined her eyes. He opened his mouth, then closed it, the words dying not even in his throat. She blinked away the tears only for more to form. "What is the point of undying faith if the Goddesses have died? Why should we offer thanks to them if they will not offer help to us?"

"Link..." She took his hand and held it between hers. He stared at her, unflinching, and she wondered if he was even paying attention. "I'm scared." And it was the first time she admitted it to anybody. She was dismayed when he only nodded, unsurprised and it was like he knew all along.

"I pray everyday," she said, "and I wish to Nayru and Din and Farore that Zelda will finally be answered. Sometimes, even to the Goddess Hylia, I ask. Yet, now, I am unanswered too. Perhaps there is no hope anymore."

She shifted closer to Link and put her head on his shoulder. When he tensed, she closed her eyes. "Let me have this," she pleaded. "Because I don't think I will have a life for much longer."

He relaxed and closed his eyes because he, too, was scared. He was worried for everything that was to come, and he figured he would die, too.

When he opened them, she was gone. She was just another piece of Vah Ruta, another captured pawn in their efforts to stop Calamity Ganon. When he glanced behind him, he saw Sidon waving to him from the dock of the reservoir, a tiny red speck from where Link was on a cliff. It was time for him to leave.

He stood up and took one last glance at Ruta's trunk. Maybe Mipha was wrong—maybe there was still hope. He jumped down from Ruta, safely paragliding to the ground. He turned to look up at the mechanical beast, proud and unmoving, but entirely lifeless, even as her soul was left there.

With her blessing, he would remember her, until the day the Goddesses died.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Please feel free to message me one shot requests on any of my platforms or comment them on Wattpad. They do not have to be flower-related, either. Thanks for reading!


	5. Forget-me-nots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda remembers those who won’t remember her. | Requested by khfan123 on Wattpad.

**Forget-me-nots: undying love, remembrance, protection, luck**

When she laid him to rest in the Shrine of Resurrection, she wasn't sure what would become of him. The only thing she knew is, when he woke up, he would be without his memories. His memories of her, Impa, Purah, her father, his home, Hyrule itself. It was as though he would be born again and tasked with making his own memories—he would be a different person. The boy from one hundred years ago would be long dead. She understood this even as she placed all her faith and trust in him and stood before Calamity Ganon. She understood that it was mostly up to luck that he would wake up, fresh and new to the world, and be able to navigate to her.

She was deeply afraid. Even as she faced Calamity Ganon with steely eyes and a glowing hand, she was scared. Her world around her was crumbling, her friends dead and family gone. She wondered if anything could ever be the same, and even though the obvious answer was no, she still allowed herself to fantasize from her little bubble of malice. As the seconds that turned into hours turned into days turned into years passed, her power dwindled. Her glowing form was growing pale and dark, a shred of hope yet to be found in her century-long imprisonment. She thought that maybe she had misplaced her trust in her friend and knight Link, and that perhaps it was too far-fetched of an idea to preserve him in the Shrine of Resurrection and have him wake up ready to battle the greatest evil Hyrule had ever seen. Perhaps, like her father had done to her, she placed too much responsibility on him. Too much pressure and too much expectation. She was becoming the very thing she resented.

What hurt her most was that his memories of a time before, a happier time, were gone. He no longer remembered her and, when he would inevitably come to rescue her from the clasps of the malice, she would be but a simple stranger to the hero. He would make new memories with the people he once knew in a place he once knew but didn't remember, and he would become known and go down in history even after death. She did not expect the same to happen to her. She was unimportant, another let-down of a daughter that failed the world by being incapable of summoning her power in time. She was incompetent and she didn't deserve the recognition of legends. Or so she thought.

She faulted herself for most of it. Mipha, Daruk, Urbosa, Revali—all dead, because of her. Because she did not have the willpower, the strength, the courage, the desire, no matter how hard she brought those feelings to the surface. She knew the Goddesses did not love her the way they loved the past Princesses. Why was she the one that was denied salvation? Why was she the one denied the role of hero?

As she lay curled in her pocket of malice, her heartbeat thumping in her ears and her body using all of its energy to keep Calamity Ganon at bay, she remembered him and how good he was to her. He protected her, even when she was stubborn and ungrateful. He spoke to her even when he was known for being quiet and stoic. He entertained her sciences, like the time she encouraged him to eat a frog they'd found by the Research Lab. (He really did eat it.) And what did she do in return? Nothing.

Nothing except save his life and give Hyrule a fighting chance.

She was a horrible friend. Always on the receiving end and never giving.

Even though she remembered him, he wouldn't remember her, and that was her act of giving.

She placed it upon herself to remember the Hyrule from one hundred years ago; its people, its landscapes, its place in the world. She would be the sole messenger to a new generation that knew nothing of the horrors she experienced. She would be the sole messenger to a new generation that didn't remember.

And so, as the last of her power dwindled away, she remembered, and swore to herself that she always would.


	6. (Pink) Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link goes searching for Zelda on the surface. | Requested by Jotaro_Joestar06 on Wattpad.

**(Pink) Rose: gratitude, grace, admiration, joy.**

He sighed and chopped through another Deku Baba before wiping the sweat off of his forehead. It was rare to see one anymore after he'd defeated Demise and saved Zelda and the world from doom. Ever since then, people regularly began to travel between the sky and the surface. A permanent settlement was being built in Faron Woods to house the first Hylian surface dwellers, but Link and Zelda were a little skeptical of the idea, so they chose to continue staying at the academy. Despite this, the pair made frequent trips to the surface to help the construction of the settlement and to just relax. Surprisingly, she traveled more than he did, and she still couldn't hold her own against a monster.

That's why he was worried. Every time she left Skyloft, she wouldn't tell him or even leave a note; she would just go. Each time he would chase after her, find her goofing off somewhere in the woods (one time, he found her talking to the dragon Faron, which was shocking considering the dragon's hostility to outsiders), and then drag her back to either Skyloft or the settlement. This time around, it was early morning and he suspected she left before the sun even rose. This was doubly dangerous because, despite the scarcity of monsters, more came out before sunrise. He wondered what in Hylia's name—or, rather, Zelda's—she had to do on the surface at dawn. 

Now, he walked through the Faron Woods, checking every nook and cranny, pulling back vines and branches and leaves in hopes of finding her. He couldn't lose her. Not again. He was also too tired to go on another world-saving escapade. Sometimes, he took joy in having to go find her. He'd treat his search as a relaxing little stroll through the lush forests, but other times, he just wanted to take a nap.

When he couldn't find her anywhere around where the Kikwi lived, he ventured deeper into the forest toward the Skyview Temple. He knew that she couldn't be anywhere on the treacherous pillars of protruding from the abyss below, so he climbed the log to the side and peered over the cliff into a small clearing. He could hear the scuffling of dirt and labored breaths, so he angled his head more and finally caught sight of sunshine blonde hair close to the green ground. When he positioned himself better he was able to see her, bright yellow hair and wearing her pink dress, kneeling on the ground and working at something in the dirt. He watched her push a strand of hair behind her ear.

He heard her mutter a small "ouch" and suck on one of her fingers. He climbed over the small cliff and approached her from behind as she knelt in the clearing, fighting with he could now see to be a flower. 

"Hey—" 

"Oh Hylia!" she yelped, jumping back and landing on her rear. She looked up at Link and scrunched her nose. "It's just you. Jeez, you scared me."

"Sorry."

"What are you doing here? The sun's barely even up," she said with a frown, quickly scooting to the side to hide the flower she was picking behind her back. Link shook his head and sighed.

"I came to ask _you_ that question." He walked over and sat down next to her on the ground that was slightly wet from the morning dew, the bottoms of his boots a slightly darker color because of it. He took off his hat and scratched his head.

"Well, uh... you know. Stuff."

Link rolled his eyes. "What are you trying to pick?" He leaned far to the side to try and look around her, put she shoved a hand over his eyes.

"You can't see!" she exclaimed. "It's supposed to be a surprise."

"Oh, sorry. Well, I didn't know where you went and I was worried so I came to get you. Can we go back to Skyloft now?"

Zelda sighed and laid back on the ground, allowing Link to see the flower. It was a single pink rose, perky and bright in the rising sunlight. It had small thorns on its green stem and the petals were supple and soft. 

"Huh?"

"I grew your favorite flower," Zelda explained shyly as she put pressure on her finger. "I wanted to give it to you today."

"Oh," Link said dumbly. "Guess I ruined it."

"It's fine," she said as she sat back up, leaves in her hair. "I just wanted to show you how grateful I am, and I thought you'd like it." Link's eyes travelled to her hand when he noticed she was bleeding.

"I do like it, but... you're bleeding."

"Oh, it's just—" 

"You shouldn't have to hurt yourself to thank me."

"Please, it's just a little prick. Those thorns are mean little things." She rested her bleeding hand on his. With her other, she plucked the rose from its spot and handed it to him. "Thank you."

Link twirled it in his free hand and smiled softly. "You don't even have to thank me," he told her. "I'd do anything for you."

Zelda smiled and rolled her eyes. "Just say 'you're welcome.'"

Link blinked. "I... okay? You're welcome... I guess," he stuttered. Zelda threw her head back and laughed.

"I'll let you take me back to Skyloft now," she said. "But only if you hold my hand."

He blinked again. "Hold... your hand?"

"Yes." She stuck out her clean, pale hand and waited for him to grab it. Shyly, almost afraid, he gently took her hand into his and clasped his fingers around it and started to walk. She walked up to him and leaned into his ear.

"Thank you."

He could hear the smile in her words.


	7. Light, rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An entry for a writing contest where the prompts are: light, rain.
> 
> Feel free to join the Discord server here: [Zelcord](https://discord.gg/KsPcF3q9fk)

He didn't find the rain to be particularly saddening. He liked curling up on his bed with a blanket and a warm, steaming cup of tea and watching the rain hit the window and hearing the wind _whoosh_ by outside. The occasional thunder brought him peace as he'd sip on his mug of tea. It was how he enjoyed the rain—alone and comfortably. She was a different story, however.

When it would rain, she'd jump up from the table and run outside. She'd spin and twirl and sing and dance in the rain, letting it drench her, soak her sunshine hair and porcelain skin, and sometimes she'd beckon him to come outside and dance with her. She'd take his face in her hands and kiss him, laugh, and carry on dancing without a care in the world.

She was his light through the rain.


	8. Spider Lily

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda and Link say goodbye. | Requested by KanutuDock on Wattpad. | If you’d like to leave a request, DM me on any of my platforms or leave a comment!

**Spider Lily: final goodbyes.**

"Give the ocarina to me," Zelda ordered, holding out her hand, voice soft and intimidate. Slowly, he pulled the ocarina out of his pocket and handed it to her with hesitation.

He didn't know what she was trying to do. He had defeated Ganon and saved Hyrule—what was supposed to happen next? She had told him that everything had been her fault and that she'd dragged him into it. She was filled with regret and remorseful at what she thought she did, but he didn't feel the same way.

When she took the ocarina, she enveloped his hand in hers and paused for a moment. She stared down at their hands, hovering over each other and barely grazing the other, but it was somber all the same. She looked sad, almost, a little pensive. When she finally took the ocarina from him, she held it to her chest and looked at him.

He knew what she wanted to do. She wanted him to lay the Master Sword to rest and close the road between time. Why couldn't she asked what he wanted to do?

"Now, go home," she said, barely a whisper. "Home, where you're supposed to be, how you're supposed to be."

He didn't want to. He was supposed to be here, with her, as an adult in a Hyrule that he saved. He didn't want to go home—he had no home. He could make one for himself, he thought, in this age. There was nothing left for him in the past.

He watched in silent, mute horror as she raised the ocarina to her lips and played her lullaby.

The last words he heard of her voice as the world around him faded to white were, "Thank you, Link. Goodbye."

When he could finally see, he was back in the chamber of the Matser Sword in the Temple of Time. Navi floated around him curiously and he stared at the Master Sword in front of him, sheathed in the pedestal to sleep until it was needed again. He looked up at Navi and— where was she going?

She was floating away slowly, almost unsure of if she should leave or not, up toward the windows high toward the ceiling. She floated out of one and into the sky, and he didn't know where she went. As she faded into the light that flooded through the window and cast a shining spotlight on the Master Sword, Link turned around and walked away.

He didn't want to be sent back. He was perfectly fine in the future—the past held nothing for him. He had no purpose anymore in the past, especially now that he was without a fairy.

He needed to see her.

He made his way to the castle, snuck in and through the gardens to reach her. If he had to, he'd do it a million times over. When he entered her small private garden, she turned around to look at him. A hand rose to cover her mouth and he wondered:

Did she remember him?


	9. Checkmate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link tries his hand at chess. | Requested by snidgetwidgeon on Tumblr.

Link was often assigned the boring task of patrolling the castle while his fellow knights ventured out to Hyrule Field to slay monsters. It's not that he was a bad fighter—it was quite the opposite, actually. He was too good and often left the other knights behind, slaughtering any and every monster in his way and leaving none for them. Eventually, their commander decided that Link was "hogging too much of the fun" and chose to put him on castle patrol. Despite the prestige of the job title, it was more embarrassing than anything. When put on castle patrol, a knight had to wear the royal guard attire: a blue and red tunic, white boots and gloves, and a beret everyone but the royalty of Hyrule found ridiculous and humiliating. Still, he tied up his hair and put on the beret and the gloves and the tunic in the morning before heading off to the main part of the castle from the barracks. He was never one to voice his dissatisfaction; or voice anything, really.

While he strolled around the outside of the castle, right along its stone brick walls, it began to rain. First lightly, and then it gradually became heavier. When he heard thunder in the distance, he chose to retreat to the inside of the castle under the guise that he had completed patrolling the outside. 

He walked into the library, a long and grand room lined top to bottom with bookshelves. Tables dotted the open space in the center of the room, books piled on top or papers scattered over the surface. The second level of the library was a balcony that wrapped around the room before meeting at a grand staircase. Small tables were placed against the railing on the edge of the balcony, usually covered with books or loose papers. People—servants, royal knights, castle staff—walked around the library, their noses buried in the pages of books, some sitting at tables and discussing the contents of the pages before them.

Link wandered aimlessly up to the second level. He didn't really care where he went as long as he kept moving and it looked like he was doing his job. Hands behind his back, he walked along the balcony, between the bookshelves and the tables, glancing at the spine of a book every now and then. The sheer amount of content the library had was baffling. It completely dwarfed the little shelf they had in the barracks that carried twenty or so books.

He was surprised that most of the tables on the upper level were empty or rather clean, boasting almost dustless surfaces and maybe a singular book. He thought it was peculiar when he came across a table with a chess board on top, the pieces all neatly in their place except for one white pawn. He strode over to it, his boots clicking neatly on the tiled floor, and leaned over the board. Why was there a chess game in progress when nobody was sitting at the table? He rubbed his chin and squinted in thought. 

He knew very little about chess. Of course he knew the small pieces were called pawns and the term "checkmate," but besides that he was clueless. He'd watched his father play it many times when he was younger, but those memories were faded and distant. Curiously, he fingered the dark wooden piece shaped like a horse and after a moment of contemplation, he moved it over the pawn in front of it. He heard footsteps fast approaching him and he looked up to see a royal knight striding toward him, a serious look on his face. Link immediately straightened and walked away quickly, stiff and panicked, hoping he wasn't about to getting scolded in the room where everything echoed. It'd be more embarrassing than the beret on his head.

Finally out of the library and out of sight from the royal guard, he relaxed and carried on with his patrolling of the castle.

When he returned to the library the next day, once again on castle patrol, another white piece had moved—another pawn forward one space. He pulled a chair out from the table and sat down. His foot brushed against something solid below the table, and he peered down to see a book titled _How to Play Chess_. Picking it up, he opened the book and was displeased at, despite its tiny structure, the even smaller font. He navigated to the section about how to move pieces and, after reading it, chose to just move a pawn. The information from the book simply refused to translate to his brain. He never quite understood chess. There were too many rules and technicalities and it seemed too complicated for him, but he was committed to this game of chess and was determined to finish it. He grabbed the pawn by the small bulb on top and shifted it forward.

He followed the same routine for days—wake up, get dressed in the silly uniform, make his way to the library, move a piece, and continue patrol.

On another dark and stormy day when he chose to retreat into the library for cover from the rain, he made his way straight to the game of chess on the upper balcony. It was a challenge trying to navigate the library due to the fact that the light from the sconces and candles didn't travel very far and he had to rely on his own vision to find his way. He was puzzled when he saw a slowly swaying flame hovering over the chess board as a silhouette of a hand grabbed a piece and moved it. It grabbed another piece and moved it off the board.

Cautiously, he approached the table. The flame floated up to illuminate the face that owned the hand that so expertly shifted the chess piece. Almost immediately, partly out of habit and partly out of respect, he knelt on the ground and lowered his head and his gaze to the tile floor. His heart raced as he thought about who stood before him, about who so confidently moved that white chess piece and took his off the board.

"Hello," Princess Zelda said, stepping closer. "You can stand up."

So he stood up.

"Are you the one I've been playing chess with?"

Shyly, he nodded.

"Well, that's wonderful." Her eyes and her smile were soft and kind, contrary to the image he'd painted of her before—uppity and snobbish. "What's your name?"

She was wearing her deep blue dress and a crown rested atop her forehead. Her blonde hair rolled down her back in thick waves and her green eyes sparkled in the firelight. "Soldier?" she called, trying to reach him beyond his thoughts, beyond his admiration of her noble and clean appearance.

"Uh... Link. My name is Link." Like a fool, he stumbled over his words, but he assumed she must've been used to it. Someone so intimidating must rarely receive neatly and confidently said words. His voice was quiet, as it was rare for him to speak, and he figured there must be something illegal about unknowingly playing chess with the princess of Hyrule.

"Well," she sighed, gesturing to the chess board next to them. "Checkmate." His gaze followed her hand to where his dark wooden king was sitting to the side of the board.

"Oh." Link said dumbly. He didn't understand what was happening at all during the weeklong game, and the book only helped him to understand how the pieces moved and what they were called. The rest of its contents were too wordy and technical for him to grasp.

"Do you... know how to play chess?" she asked, but he could tell that she knew about his incompetence at the game. He shook his head silently. 

She hummed thoughtfully as she sat down at the table and began to reset the pieces. Thumbing a white pawn, she looked up at him and held her hand out to the seat across from her. 

"Sit down. I'll teach you."

He shuffled into the chair across from her.

"I'll go first."

She moved her white pawn forward and the game began again.


	10. Hairball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A cat leaves some hairballs for Zelda. | Requested by anon on Tumblr.

After another long day of work at her office, she couldn’t wait any longer and slipped out of her heels in the elevator of her apartment building. No one else was in there with her, so she assumed it would be okay. All she wanted to do was get to her apartment and soak in a nice warm bubble bath dotted with rose petals. She’d light a few candles around her and dim the lights as she drank a glass of red wine and moody music played softly in the background. As the pain eased off her feet she sighed at the fantasy she created in her mind. Her next step was to take her brown hair out of its tight bun, the locks falling in gentle waves down her back. She shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair as the elevator dinged and the doors in front of her opened. Briefcase in one hand and heels hooked in the fingers of the other, she shuffled out of the elevator and down the hall.

When she reached the door to her apartment, she dropped her heels onto the ground and fished around in her briefcase, muttering questions of where her key could be to herself and the empty hall behind her. When her fingers finally grasped the key, she pulled it out, stuck it in the lock and turned it. She heard a click and turned the knob, setting her briefcase down inside the door before turning back for her heels. She thought it was odd how one purple heel was knocked over on its side. Thinking nothing of it, she scooped them up and went inside to enjoy the bath she’d been longing for.

The next day, after she took off her heels and let down her hair in the elevator the same way she did everyday, after she set her heels down in front of her door and fished around for her keys. She heard a hacking sound, like a violent cough, next to her, but didn’t pay it any mind as she turned her keys in the lock. When she bent down to pick her heels up, there was a small hair ball sitting right next to them.

“Gross,” she said, picking up her heels and walking quickly inside.

The same thing happened the day after that, where she followed the same monotonous routine, except this time the hair ball was directly in one of her purple heels. “Who has cats?” she said aloud to herself. “Just... yuck.” She pinched the heel between her fingers and carried it inside where she promptly cleaned it. 

She decided to include “finding hair balls” to her routine of coming home. She supposed it added something a little exciting to her boring life, but it was just another reoccurrence in a world of schedules. She always so bored of life. Going to the same office everyday and doing the same things, as easy as it sounded, became tiring when it never varied. She desired some sort of spice to fill the void in her lonely and repetitive life.

One night, when she exited the elevator and set her heels down at the door, she heard a soft _meow_ below her. Stepping back from her door, she glanced down and yelped in surprise when she saw a black cat calmly licking its paw. It glanced up at her with vibrant green eyes before refocusing its gaze on its paw.

“Hello,” she said awkwardly. She brushed a chocolate lock behind her ear and squatted next to the cat. “What’s your... ugh, this is so stupid... what’s your name?”

She’d never been very good with animals. Forming connections with them was hard for her ever since she was little, but that didn’t mean she disliked them. She always found the notion of speaking to an animal as though they were a human ridiculous and silly, and she was surprised she was doing it on her own accord and not due to pressure from someone around her.

Gingerly, she reached a hand out to the cat, who sniffed it. The cat rubbed up against her palm and purred, a low rumble that Zelda felt in her hand. Her hand glided over its black fur and settled on its head, gently rubbing back and forth as it purred delightfully underneath it.

A door opened somewhere in the hallway with a small click, but she paid it no mind and she continued her ministrations. “Ganon?” someone called. She looked over her shoulder to see who it was that was speaking.

It was a man that was slightly shorter than her with dirty blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. His skin was tan and his muscles well-defined even in the poorly lit hallway. He held a tabby cat up to his shoulder, cradling it much like a baby as he slowly scanned the hallway, patting the tabby cat’s back as he did so.

“Are you looking for your cat?” Zelda asked, standing up and to the side. The black cat meowed loudly and tip-tapped over to the man.

“Ah, yes, I am,” he said, “but it would seem I found him. Or, you did.”

“His name is Ganon?” she inquired, following Ganon to his owner.

“Yeah. Um... oh, I’m Link.” He held his hand out, holding his tabby cat with one hand, and Zelda shook it politely.

“I’m Zelda. What’s this cat’s name?” She let her hand hover over the other cat and when Link nodded, began to stroke its fur.

“This one is Komali,” he told her, voice riddled with love and drizzled with affection. His voice sounded like a pastry—rich with flavor and topped with sweet honey, melodic and delicious. 

“Very cute cats,” Zelda replied with a smile. “But one of them left me a hairball.” Link frowned. “In my shoe.” He cringed.

“I’m really sorry. Ganon keeps getting out lately, but I didn’t know he was leaving hairballs.”

“It’s alright,” Zelda sighed. She shifted back and forth on her bare heels as he awkwardly looked at everything but her. “Okay, well, goodnight.”

“Nice to meet you, Zelda,” Link said before retreating into his apartment with Komali in his hands and Ganon proudly marching behind.

The next night, Zelda was in the elevator at the same time as her new neighbor-friend Link. They only exchanged hello’s and Zelda’s daily routine was interrupted by his presence. Her heels stayed on her feet and her hair up in its tight bun. When they exited the elevator, him allowing her to go first (what a gentleman, she thought), the door to his apartment creaked open and Ganon padded out into the hallway.

Zelda snickered while Link stared in disappointment. “Maybe you need better locks,” she joked. Link picked his cat up and just stared at him blankly.

“We talked about this last night,” she heard him say, “you can’t keep doing this.” When he spoke to animals, it didn’t seem silly to her anymore.

“You know, I don’t really mind,” Zelda said as she felt around for her key. “He’s a very cute cat.”

“And you’re a very cute woma—”

She stared at him and blinked once, and then twice. His mouth was frozen in an o-shape, surprised at the words that had come out of his own mouth. After some odd, silent moments of staring, he finally spoke.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“No, like, I’m really sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

“Do you want to get coffee sometime?”

She blinked once, then twice, again. She nodded, dumbfounded.

Link sighed and his entire body visibly relaxed, the tension everywhere coming loose. He chuckled and held Ganon to his shoulder. He ran his free hand through his hair and his eyes sparkled in the broken hallway light.

“Tomorrow?” he asked. “Ganon can come knock on your door.”

“...Sure.”

Link gently grabbed Ganon’s paw and waved it goodbye to Zelda before he dipped into his apartment and shut the door. Her hand stopped looking around in her briefcase and she sunk to the floor against her door. She took off her heels and let loose her hair, staring at the floor in shock.

Maybe her life could be exciting after all.


	11. Rumors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rumors start to bug Zelda. | Requested by anon on Tumblr.

Zelda rolls her eyes. "Please," she groans. "I don't like him."

"Come on, Princess, you totally do!" Impa lightly taps her on the shoulder and wiggles her eyebrows. The princess reels back in playful disgust and smiles.

"Impa, I really don't. We are just..." she searches for the right words. "Acquaintances...?"

"Friends," Impa offers. "Maybe more."

"There is no maybe, Impa. It's simply false. The implication I like him, that is."

Impa runs a hand over her face and rolls her eyes, too, following Zelda as she continues down the hall. "You guys go everywhere together!"

"He is my knight."

"He held your hand that one time—"

"We were about to be blown up by a raging Guardian," Zelda scolds, and she stops to face Impa. "It's his duty to protect me, and he grabbed my hand to help me keep up with his speed."

"Sure, Princess." Impa crosses her arms. "But you can't deny that—"

"Besides," Zelda interrupts unintentionally, her voice soft and low in the castle halls, "I don't think anyone would want to be with a failure like me."

Impa blinks. Once, then twice. "Um..." she's caught off guard by the sudden shift in mood. "That's not true. I, for one, would love to be with you!"

"Impa!" Zelda scolds, her face burning scarlet. "I simply mean that I have much to worry about and don't have the time to think about relationships. I need to fulfill my duty."

"Everyone has a little spare time for love, Princess."

Zelda gazes out the window next to her into a small green courtyard. "Not me," she disagrees. "He is fulfilling his duty beyond what is expected. I need to figure out how to do the same."

A guard approaches the pair of women and tells Impa that she's needed elsewhere in the castle. Impa walks off with the guard after saying goodbye to Zelda, making sure to turn around and make kissy faces at her as she walks away. 

Zelda chuckles quietly, but it really does bother her. The endless questions, assumptions, the never-ending looks she receives when she's out with her knight Link. Ever since he was appointed as her knight, the rumors ran rampant. Part of her wishes that she would've been left alone to train day and night to appease the Goddesses that refuse to answer her even now, but the other part of her appreciates the support, however silent it is. 

Zelda continues her stroll through the castle only to run into the Champions returning from the throne room at an intersection in the hallway.

"Hello," she greets politely, still a little uncomfortable around them and in awe of the sheer power they each held individually. She feels that it would be rude to get too friendly too fast, given their statuses in their homelands. 

"Hey, Princess!" Daruk bellows boisterously, his mouth positioned in a never-ending smile. "What're you up to?"

Revali tuts and crosses his arms. "What a foolish question, Daruk. She lives here. What do you think she's doing?" Zelda frowns and tilts her head ever so slightly in disapproval. Each of the champions has a strong personality, she knows, but Revali's is arguably the strongest.

"I'm just on a walk," she explains to Daruk with a small smile. "How about you?"

"Well, we're—" his smile drops when he realizes he forgot.

Urbosa claps him on the back and a few sparks light up from her hands. She laughs heartily, deeply, warmly, and looks at Zelda. The Princess Zelda always found comfort in Urbosa. When her mother died, Urbosa was the only woman in her life that was there for her, especially in her younger years.

"We just got our next mission from the King," Urbosa tells her. "We're on our way to vanquish some monsters from the Breach of Demise."

"By 'we', she means 'I'," Revali cuts in. "We all know I do all the work." Urbosa shoots him a glare and its enough to silence him for a little while.

They talk a little while longer about boring, menial things, like how it is back home or what their plans are after they defeat the Calamity. Zelda wishes she could think like them.

"Mipha, aren't you craftin' some armor for someone?" Daruk asks loudly, and Mipha turns even redder than her skin.

"I— well, yes, I am."

"Really?" Urbosa says in surprise. "There's a special voe in your life, little vai?"

Mipha only nods.

Suddenly, Revali groans, and its an unheavenly and demonic sound. He turns to face the wall behind him, arms still crossed. "Look who it is!" he yells. "The great knight!" His voice is riddled with notes of sarcasm and disdain.

Zelda's gaze shifts away from the proud Champions and to Link, who is still approaching them. His face is the same; mouth flat and eyes dull. He always looks bored, but perhaps indifferent is the better word. Zelda doesn't quite know the words to describe his demeanor. It crosses her mind then that she's never seen him smile.

She doesn't realize it, but her face glows pink.

"Princess, are you alright?" Mipha's soft voice breaks Zelda's trance and she blinks out of it. "You're red."

She realizes.

"I—I am not!" she says defensively, fanning her face. Daruk is puzzled, but Mipha and Urbosa share knowing glances. The tall Gerudo warrior strides over to the princess and puts a hand on her shoulder.

"The princess and I are going to talk for a moment," she says with a wink at Mipha, who blushes. "I'll meet up with you outside the castle." The Champions walk away, and Revali doesn't miss his chance to send a searing glare at Link. As usual, the knight doesn't react, and it makes the Rito even angrier.

"Link, you can be on your way as well," Urbosa tells him. He looks at Zelda and back at Urbosa, and his gaze makes the princess feel a little weak. "Oh, I see. Come along, then."

Zelda and Urbosa walk side by side while Link trails behind a little ways, unable to hear their whispers.

"You make it so obvious," Urbosa says. "You like him, don't you?"

"Please, I just had this conversation with Impa. I don't know if I can make it any clearer that I have no romantic incline toward Link."

"Your mother was a very busy woman."

"My mother? What does she—"

"She often overworked herself, much like you, little bird." Urbosa's voice is warm and comforting, a stark contrast from the strong inflection she uses when giving commands. "She never allowed herself time off."

"I do not overwork myself."

"She also had a habit of denying the obvious. I see you inherited that as well."

Zelda grumbled under her breath and Urbosa smiled. "When she made time for herself, she found someone. Your father."

"I don't understand what you're trying to say."

"Zelda, it's okay to indulge a little. To want something. Even when your father demands that you train, it's okay to be a little selfish."

Zelda stares up at Urbosa in admiration. "I'll leave you to lovebirds alone now," the chief says. "Sav'orq!" Urbosa walks down the hallway and turns a corner quickly.

Zelda groans. "We are not lovebirds!" she calls after Urbosa, but she's long gone. She stops walking and turns to face her knight whose expression is still blank. "And you... I assume you don't have much of an opinion on the matter?"

Link tilts his head, a silent show of confusion.

"Surely you've heard the rumors." She steps closer and hisses, "We're secret lovers."

His expression doesn't change, but his cheeks do. They flare a bright red like she's never seen on him before. "It's just silly," she sighs, "and frustrating. Because I don't feel that way about you. I think."

He doesn't say anything.

"Tell me what you think about it," she demands. "I want to know."

He doesn't say anything still, but he's thinking, and she can tell.

"I don't mind," he says plainly.

"You don't... what?" She's surprised, maybe a little disappointed, but she dwells more on the sound of his voice—soft and the exact opposite of what she imagined. "Why wouldn't you mind? The rumors are wrong in every way! I simply don't have time to have a lover and how scandalous is the mere idea! Other than that, you wouldn't want to be with me. I can't do the simplest things."

"I think they're sorta true."

She squints at him. "What?"

"I like you. And I think you can do more than you think."

Before she can say anything, someone calls his name down the hall. He mutters an apology, bows, and runs away.

Alone in the hallway she sighs and cups her cheek with her hand. She giggles, brushes a strand of hair behind her ear. "He likes me."

Maybe the rumors hold some truth.


	12. Rain & Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This oneshot was inspired by [this post](https://boyzoi.tumblr.com/post/621931490407858177/this-is-where-i-watched-you-die) by **boyzoi** on Tumblr. This oneshot was created with the artist’s permission.

It was raining again.

It was always raining.

It came down in cold sheets, slamming against the grass and pounding against the puddles there from the previous rainfall. The sky was dark and grey, the sun shrouded by the ghastly, thick clouds above.

She jostled back and forth on the horse while Link, now an expert in horseback riding, held steady. His knuckles were white against the reins. She held tight to him save for the occasional hand that drifted up to adjust her hood.

She did not remember the Blatchery Plain looking like this. lt was once bright and green and sunny, with herds of horses grazing and roaming about, the children from the local stable often playing in the field. Now, it was lonely and deserted, touched only by the decaying bodies of Guardians that she herself had destroyed.

The Guardians she destroyed with a power that had awakened too late.

As his horse galloped over a specific spot in the middle of the Plain, she felt something in her heart stop. It took hold and squeezed as tight as it could, a twinge in her chest, and she removed a hand from his stomach to clutch it.

_This is where I watched you die._

She remembered all too vividly the way the Guardian had set its sight on Link and the way it shuddered after she released her power. She remembered too well the way he collapsed on the ground and the way she pleaded and cried for him to get up. Sometimes, she wished she was the amnesiac.

She didn't say anything because she knew he remembered, too. Her hand moved back to his stomach after the pain subsided. Gently, ever so slightly, she squeezed him closer to her. She needed him.

He noticed. Taking a short, sorrowful glance at the princess sitting behind him, her eyes downcast and body slumped, his hands loosened on the reins. He took his left hand and placed it softly atop one of hers. Just like her, he grasped it ever so gently, his thumb running back and forth over her soft, delicate hand. They were different, two worlds clashing, but they were the same.

They remembered, and they would never forget.

They rode on through the thick rain in the hopes of finding a better tomorrow.


End file.
